The comeback trail

I've had some flu / viral thing where I've been struggling for breath for weeks. I ran every day in September and October then haven't managed a mile since then. I went to the doctor, who more or less said only time will help and usually it's around six weeks for one of these things to clear. I've even been struggling to run upstairs to get my coat or go to the toilet. I usually say (only half joking) that my usual fitness test is if I can run up our stairs then I'm okay (if I can run upstairs, then I can probably run a mile, and if I'm okay for a mile then I'll probably be okay for a leg of a Bob Graham...etc)

This morning I've just managed to run up and down stairs five times. I've never had my VO2 measured but my mate John, who does triathalons, said to me that my 'aerobic base' should be good, whatever that means. I'm hoping I might just be on the comeback trail at last. I certainly hope so because being out of breath has been quite alarming at times and as usual when I've not been running I've put on weight, which needs to go and soon! 

The Clarendonians

My mum used to come upstairs before I left home and ask, 'are you listening to that reggie music again me duck?'. I was and I still am

Gone but not forgotten

My mum would have been 76 years old today. I think I posted this photograph of her earlier in the year but for me it captures mum's spirit perfectly

Junior Murvin R.I.P

Labi Siffre

A tale of two Bobs

If you start to type 'Bob' into my web-browser you (maybe surprisingly) don't get Bob Dylan or Bob Marley. However, you do (not surprisingly) get Bob Graham, but you also get Bob Wightman. Now Bob Graham has had plenty of coverage on this blog but Bob Wightman only occasionally gets a mention

I first met Bob Wightman at Ilkley Moor fell race and it was Brett who introduced us. I suspect I'd already visited Bob's website but it was before he fell off Stannage and started his blog Bob and I ran round the Haworth Hobble one year with Steve 'merrylegs' Foster and it was Bob who navigated leg one of my first Bob Graham and the final leg of my successful round (I'll never forget seeing him in the car-park at Honister). Bob also showed me and Rich 'Mr 1470' around leg one on a glorious Saturday morning; the day I first saw the parachute descent off Blencathra

Bob had a hip-replacement operation this week and I'm guessing he'll be blogging about his recovery over the coming weeks. I guess too that it'll make interesting reading

Lou Donaldson

The Sensations

I've had some kind of low-grade flu virus for around five weeks and haven't run at all in that time. The one time I have run I found it incredibly difficult to breath and felt very 'mortal'. The virus (a bit like my love of rocksteady, ska and reggae music) seems to come and go but is very persistent!

Alfie at nine months

Alfie is nine months old now. He was on tip-top form yesterday when we met him and his mum and dad at Bicton!

Herbie Hancock